peores

Peores is the plural form of the Spanish adjective peores, which marks a higher degree of negativity in comparisons. It is the plural counterpart of the comparative form peor, the word used to indicate that something is worse than another thing. The singular form pe or is used for both masculine and feminine nouns in the singular: el día peor, la noche peor.

In the plural, peores applies to both genders: los días peores, las noches peores. On the other hand, the superlative use is el peor (masculine) or la peor (feminine), with los peores or las peores as the corresponding plural forms. The word can function as an adjective modifying a noun or as a substantive phrase referring to the worst ones in a given group, e.g., los peores del año.

Etymology-wise, peores derives from the Latin peior, the comparative form of malus meaning bad. It shares cognates in other Romance languages and forms part of a broader system of comparatives and superlatives in Spanish.

Usage notes: peores is commonly used with que to compare two items (Este libro es peor que ese). It can also appear with de to designate the worst within a defined set (Es el peor de la clase). When used as a noun phrase, los peores typically require contextual clarification to specify the domain (los peores en la lista, los peores de la ciudad).

See also: peor, el peor, la peor, malo.